Part 1: Former Australian PM Gillard

Part 2: Former Australian PM Gillard

Allegations that Australia spied on the Indonesian president’s phone are a “big issue” for the two countries’ relationship, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview conducted Tuesday and aired Thursday.

It was her first news interview since being forced from power by her own party earlier this year.

As fallout from NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s revelations landed in Australia, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono froze military and intelligence gathering with his Australian ally.

Gillard's successor, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has refused to apologize for the alleged spying, but has expressed regret for the embarrassment that media reports have caused to Indonesia.

Though Gillard said it was “not appropriate” for her to comment on “intelligence questions,” she praised U.S. President Barack Obama’s reaction to similar allegations that the U.S. spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“If he had been aware he wouldn’t have authorized it, and he could certainly say for the future that it wouldn’t happen again,” Gillard told Amanpour. “And I think that that’s an appropriate response from Australia to Indonesia at this very difficult time.”

Intelligence gathering is a difficult issue to balance with privacy, she said, especially when the public sees attacks like the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Do governments get it right all of the time? Well, obviously not. Governments are made of human beings and so errors will be made. But you need a system with sufficient checks and balances and oversight.”

A female prime minister turns YouTube star

Gillard is perhaps most famous – certainly among her legions of female fans – for a fiery speech she gave in parliament last year that went viral.

Australian politics were in the midst of a scandal over sexist texts sent by the Speaker of the House and taunts of misogyny by the opposition leader – none other than the future prime minister himself, Tony Abbott.

“I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man, I will not!” Gillard said, pointing at Abbott reclining thoughtfully on the front benches. The shouts of MPs suppressed by shouts of “Order, order!” from the speaker of the house.

“And the government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.”

“I hope the leader of the opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out is resignation,” she said, “because if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn’t need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a mirror. That’s what he needs.”

The speech has been viewed by millions on YouTube and made Gillard an instant hero worldwide.

“I felt within the parliamentary chamber,” she told Amanpour, “that it was a powerful speech, because you actually see the opposition sort of drop their heads, and so they went from yelling at me and very engaged in the debate to suddenly completely entranced by their mobile phones.”

But she had no idea how much the speech would resonate around the world.

“To this day I still get a little bit startled when a woman will come up to me, wherever I am in the world, and say, ‘I saw that speech and it really meant something for me,’ or ‘I watched it with my daughter and, you know, we cried while we watched it.’”

That sexism – Abbott once held a rally standing next to a sign that read, “Ditch the Witch” – was the dark side of being the first female prime minister, Gillard said. But there were also aspects that were “hugely warm and embracing.”

“I'd have men come up to me and say, 'Can you sign this for my daughter?' Some of them would say 'I didn't vote for you or I'm not going to vote for you, but still I think it's a really good thing that our nation has got its first female prime minister.'”

Nonetheless, she does not believe there will be another female prime minister in Australia “any time soon.”

“But I'm very confident that, you know, I'll live to see the next female prime minister and probably more than one,” she said. “And I'm also very confident that it will be easier for the next woman who comes along, because, you know, some of the things that happened I don't think that the nation will want to go through twice.”

To marry or not to marry?

Gillard not only served as Australia’s first female prime minister, she did so as an unmarried woman – “controversially,” as she herself described it.

“For me, for my personal life, for my life with Tim, we've structured that the way that makes sense to us and has meaning to us,” she said, “and it just seems to me that they're our set of choices and they're not really up for negotiation or debate or people's approval or disapproval.”

She came under further scrutiny because her partner is a hairdresser, which people took to mean he ‘must’ be gay.

“We did have ridiculous and painful, shocking things, said about our relationship,” Gillard said.

“There's a set of issues here that it's hard for women to get the answer right.”

If you don’t have children – like Gillard – you are not in touch with “everyday experiences.” If you do have children, “then how can you possibly have the time to be in politics?”

“So all of this is still representing some of the double standards that are around women and leadership.”

Gillard nonetheless did not, and does not, support same-sex marriage.

“I've made up my mind about my own personal position,” she said, admitting that when she was in office that became a political position as well.

“I recognize that I had perhaps a, you know, an eccentric view, in some ways; I'd reasoned my way to my position through my own life experiences,” she said. “I think this will end up, ultimately, being a conscience vote across the parliament. And it's only in those circumstances that there's any real prospect for change.”

The new guard

If the ocean of political space between Gillard, of the Labour Party and her Liberal Party successor were not clear enough in the run-up to Australia's election, it came into clear focus when Tony Abbott gave an interview to the Washington Post last month.

“I thought it was the most incompetent and untrustworthy government in modern Australian history,” Abbott said of Gillard’s leadership.

“Well, it's not full of compliments, is it?” Gillard responded with a chuckle.

Abbott has vowed to dismantle the carbon taxing scheme that Gillard’s government implemented to battle climate change – Australia is the most-polluting country per person in the developed world.

“For me, for Australia, I think that for our economy – which is so emissions intensive – that we have the most rational mechanism for change, and the most rational mechanism is putting a price on carbon.”

She may have made a political mistake, she admitted, by using, “or allowing to be used” the term “carbon tax.”

“I wanted to get on to the substance of the policy,” she said. “But it did all end up being a semantic game and that, I think, cost me politically.”

At the center of the pivot

Australia, as the largest English-speaking country in the Asia-Pacific region, is uniquely placed for President Obama’s much-touted “pivot to Asia.”

The American president was forced to cancel a trip to Southeast Asia in October because of the U.S. government shutdown and default crisis; the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told Amanpour that that was a “missed opportunity.”

“I do, too, think it was a missed opportunity,” Gillard said.

“I absolutely understand why President Obama had to stay here in Washington,” she said. “I think what is to be regretted is that he ever had to face that choice, that politics in Washington hasn't found a way of managing these issues.”

Asia will be the “growth region” of the 21st Century, she said.

“They've heard that America is pivoting toward the region; now they want to see that followed by the capability of engagement. And that does mean having your president there when key meetings are on.”

Mainstream politics

Unlike America, Australia was able to enact significant gun control reform after a massacre, in its case at Port Arthur in 1996.

“I would wish that we could see better laws in the United States,” Gillard said. “I would pay tribute to Prime Minister John Howard's leadership at the time. He's not a member of my political party, but he showed extraordinary leadership at that point.”

The change was also able to come, she said, because of Australia’s rare system of mandatory voting.

“It's not compulsory to actually mark your ballot paper in a valid way, but it is compulsory to go to a polling station on polling day and get your ballot paper,” she said. “You can write a rude word on it if you like and put it in the ballot box.”

“That means, inevitably, our politics is about the mainstream. And the mainstream wants practical sensible things like gun controls that work and keep people safe.”

A future in politics?

Gillard says that her forced ouster from her own party was a “horrible thing to happen.”

“It's a sense of personal loss because you are leaving a position that you very much enjoyed doing,” she said. “Some sense of regret about it all, but also a sense of achievement.”

soundoff(324 Responses)

Julianne

World media outlets are mistakenly taking interviews from Julia Gillard as if she is an important person. She was replaced as Prime Minister by her own party colleagues due to public disapproval of her proven incompetence, attempts to buy votes with unfunded policies and obsession with power. Her almost daily "announcements" were indicative of her enjoyment of the limelight. Ms Gillard almost wiped out the party that gave her temporary power and wealth, and to which she professed her allegiance. Her poor performance had nothing to do with misogyny. Unfortunately since she was sacked, Ms Gillard is foolishly trying to blame what she did to our country and her loss of the prime ministership on her gender. This is a pathetically transparent excuse and an insult to the wider electorate. Unlike former PM Howard, who left politics in dignity, Ms Gillard is trying to re-write history and so maintain the spotlight she so craves. The simple fact is Ms Gillard was not liked by the Australian public. In attacking and naming as a misogynist the long term married and committed father of three daughters, concomitantly insulting the many females in his family (Opposition leader Mr Abbott), Ms Gillard displayed an aggressive style of desperation disliked by women and men. Ms Gillard has gone and is best forgotten as she was a disaster and certainly no example for impressionable youth. But wait, there is more to come about a far more serious subject of public interest than unfounded, ill-directed accusations of misogyny – matters ongoing and widely reported in Australia as the AWU-WRA investigations.

Oh Julianne, I am a 75yo Australian Voter, and have lived and seen it all.
I completely disagree with all you have said.
Our present PM has wrecked havoc since taking over, his latest effort estranging Indonesia, our nearest neighbour.
He is a climate change skeptic, and has dismantled the relevant administrations.
I think Julia Gillard will be remembered as one of the most competent Prime Ministers Australia has ever had.
Despite having a minority government, she managed to huge reforms passed, such as the Disability Insurance. That's what Labor Governments do....SOCIAL REFORM.
She is a wonderfully intelligent person, with a social conscience.

gableend, I agree with you almost 100%. I don't understand the people of this country, and that Abbott won so easily makes me want to throw up.
But for the record, Papua New Guinea is a closer neighbour and Timor Leste is awfully close too.

November 21, 2013 at 5:46 pm |

Over it

Have to disagree gableen. PM Abbott has a healthy skepticism and is doing what we all need to do and exercise that skepticism in the face of this over-hyped CAGW zealotry that is set to beggar the western world that is keeping you, me and places like this site afloat.

As for Labor governments implementing social reform, it's all very well until somebody has to pay for it. I'm all in favour of looking after those most vulnerable in pour society, that's only decent, necessary and proper to do, but it all has to be paid for somehow, and that's the thing socialist/Labor governments seem to forget.

As for Gillard, she was indeed the most incompetent PM we've ever had, wholly supported by corrupt unions and the foolish who "voted for her". Her misogyny rant was the most unsubstantiated, vituperative and vile thing to ever be heard in our Parliament (and mounted to deflect attention from Speaker Slipper, one of the more revolting specimens to "grace" that chamber), and that's saying something when you consider the depths of Keatings language. Gillards victim-hood claims have only made it harder for real women in the real workforce to be taken seriously. She has done far more harm to more of society than any other PM I can think of, Rudd included (he was just a narcissistic, bullying prat). That anyone at all is giving any oxygen at all to Gillard when she should have the good sense and grace to just shut up and make the most of what she's milked from the Australian taxpayers is beyond belief. She's beginning to look a lot more loony that even Rudd these days.

November 21, 2013 at 6:38 pm |

Michelle

oh please,hes been in the job for eight weeks.Yer sevebnty five and blind as a bat you old fool.Where were you looking the past 6 years? were you even in Australia?

November 21, 2013 at 6:41 pm |

rbc12345

The problem is that the Indonesian operation occurred under the former Labor government under Rudd, not under the current coalition government. Furthermore, it occurred in a climate of real fear for Australia given the: 2002 Bali bombing, the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta, the 2005 Bali bombing, the 2005 Palu market bombing, the 2008 Benbrika Group plot to bomb events in Melbourne and to assassinate the Australian prime minister, the 2009 Holsworthy Barracks terror plot and particularly the 2009 Jakarta Ritz Carlton and Marriott Hotel bombings. All of these bombings, except the Palu market bombing, were deliberately timed to coincide with the Australian school holidays in order to maximise the number of potential Australian targets. The actual intelligence operation only lasted 9 days after the 2009 hotel bombings when Australia was trying to work out what side the Indonesian government was really on i.e. whether or not the Indonesians took the targeting of Australians seriously and whether or not they were actually going to do anything about it. Fortunately, Indonesia has been relatively positive about these issues.

It is very noticeable that the original reporting and the CNN reporting on this have been very careful not to place all of this within an actual context. Some news agencies have very deliberately blurred this issue with the issues of domestic spying in the UK, Europe and the USA which really are quite different matters compared with what was a legitimate defence concern for Australia at the time (and still is). This is NOT the same as a domestic spying program and Australia had (and still does have) legitimate concerns regarding these issues. We know that to Americans, Australian lives are worth less than those of US citizens, but this is not how Australians feel.

This is pure grandstanding and party political opportunism from Gillard. If the media is going to report these things, then at least report it from all angles.

November 21, 2013 at 7:05 pm |

Bill

I don't know where you've been hiding but it's not in the real world .The problem with Indonesia stems from 2009 , remember who was in power? .Kevin and Juliar , not Tony Abbott .She's a harlot and marriage breaker .

Oh Michelle,
Showing your true colours and stooping to person abuse is not helpful....
I am third generation OZ, and eyesight perfectly OK.

November 21, 2013 at 7:48 pm |

Leanne from Perth, Western Australia

gableend

You call leaving Australia in massive debt that will take 40 years or more to pay off, as a sign of competency?!?! Give me a break!! And as for the stouch with Indonesia at the moment, it all happened under Rudd and Gillard and Tony Abbott has to now pick up the pieces. He should not apologise to Indonesia, considering that they were caught spying on Australia back in 1998 (?) and 2004. Did John Howard jump up and down like a spoilt little brat. No he didn't. All he said was, "We do not discuss intelligence information in the public arena". Your bleeding ABC, Fairfax and the Guardian newspaper, should all be charged with treason and sedition. The damage that they have caused and the blood that they may very well have on their hands in the near future, is utterly unforgivable. My partner was going to take his three sons to Bali in December for a weeks holiday. He has now cancelled the trip out of fear of what may happen over there. That would have been money that was spent in the Balinese economy, that is now gone! I hope that you are happy!

gableend, you're one of the reason why Australia is in deep s* right now. ALP is incompetent. The Coalition is the one who is cleaning up the mess brought by ALP and voters like you.

November 21, 2013 at 9:18 pm |

Wendy Smith

LOL Michele, you bagged him in the goolies good and hard! Love it!!!

November 22, 2013 at 12:51 am |

notafan

So tell us what Mr Abbott did exactly? Did he listen in to the SBY's phone calls in 2009? No that was on Labor's watch.
Did he steal classified information from the NSA? No that was Snowden. Did he hang on to damaging information for 5 months? No that was the Guardian. Did he publicly release secret information to damage Australia's relationship with Indonesia? No, that was done by the ABC. Does Indonesia spy on Australia? Yes it does. Have Australians any reason to be concerned about Indonesia? Dozens of Australians killed in East Timor Bali Indonesia in 1975, 2002, 2005 and 2009 suggest otherwise.
Mr Abbott is doing the right thing. Indonesia has always been a difficult neighbour 75 year old person or have your forgotten or are you just another AbbottAbbottAbbott?

November 22, 2013 at 3:30 am |

sara

How can someone be the best PM when all she did was promise and change her promise to the opposite. She ran Australia into the ground for goodness sake!!!

November 22, 2013 at 5:08 am |

billie

What utter crap – what planet do you live on? Totally agree with Julianne 100%. Her attack on Tony Abbott in particular was a disgrace – she was the worst PM Australia has ever had and that is why she was so disliked. Gender had nothing to do with it. I wish she would just disappear never to be heard of again – pleeeasseee

November 22, 2013 at 9:33 am |

Taxpayer

I am astonished that someone I thought to be one of the best journalists in the world can be so foolish as to recommend worst prime minister ever in our country's history, to give advice to present government. Did you know that it was Julia and Rudd that emptied the rubbish bin and now asking present prime minister to clean up? Paul and others are so correct, you should have bothered to do your homework before publishing such incompetent and unprofessional interview. I use to look forward to your program and I am beginning to questi0n validity of your reporting.

November 22, 2013 at 2:14 pm |

Graham broun

My sentiments exactly. Thank you. Australia has a little way to go when it comes to wise choice of leader as we can see today.

November 23, 2013 at 4:47 pm |

jack

your an idiot gableend if you think gillard was any form of good for this nation she stabbed rudd in the back to become leader then when it happened to her she cries boohoo no fair ....PFFFT what ever

November 23, 2013 at 10:43 pm |

Susannah

You might be seventy five years old but you seem to have 'seen it all' through some pretty blinkered glasses! Gillard was an incompetent, headline grabbing media tart, oh, and a liar too! The Indonesia gate phone tapping occurred in 2009, while Gillard was Deputy PM, Rudd her 'big mate' was PM, and both these two would have been signing approval for this to happen. So why then are you blaming Tony Abbott? As for her so called misogyny speech, I wonder if the 'rest of the world' also knows why it was delivered on the very day Gillard defended a man, who she personally appointed as Speaker of the House of Reps, had sent vulgar and obscene text messages involving female private parts, to another male friend. There she stood, the feminist, defending this creature and in the same speech, attacking a man as a misogynist who, fact, had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a Sydney women's refuge, a man happily married with three lovely Daughters and a Female in charge of his private staff! Maybe the 'rest of the world' might like to hear the other side of this story but they won't get it from Ms Gillard or Labor supporters like you, will they?

If you honestly believe what you say here then you obviously have allowed yourself to become blinded by partisan politcs, as so many people do. She was ousted by her own party not because of a genuine failture to govern or lead, but because she stood in the way of her collegue's race to reclaim his own lost power. As a result, the entire party lost to Abbot and in doing so, so has all of Australia. Tony Abbot is a schmoozer and charasmatic, but his leadership isn't set on Australia's future but, rather, pulling OZ back 10-15 years.

Sadam Hussein refused to allow UN inspectors to check. In case you have forgotten there was a chemical attack on Syria a few weeks ago. The news service suggested they could have been moved across the border by Hussein to stop them from being found. John Howard acted on the information he was given. Chemical weapons ARE considered WMD's & Sadam Hussein was not only crazy enough but also had the means to have either stopped the war or used the gas.

November 21, 2013 at 7:59 pm |

Why? Why Not?

Those two claims also have an element of rewriting history in them. As the war on Iraq approached, I myself actually heard the UN Chief Weapons Inspector (Austrlia's Butler) state that we all know Hussein has WMD, we just need more time to find them. When WMD were not found, I also heard him make totally contradictory statements to his earlier comments. There is at least some uncertainty about when Howard became aware that the children overboard claim was false.

November 21, 2013 at 8:17 pm |

GC

LOL, you have to love the way the left go back years & years to deflect attention from their own failures. Denial is a powerful tool for the brainwashed.

Agree with all you have said, I am a pensioner who had a long career & admired women with strong personalities & could stand up for themselves& not hide under the umbrella of "misogyny " the sooner she is charged with corruption" AWU scandal the better for all of us, then we don' t have to listen to that whining voice that only produced rubbish.

The former Prime Minister Gillard will go down in history for her never wavering commitment to her idealism. Education, health reform, disability support and a better financial deal for pensioners. Yes the Gillard government govern for all but was also criticised by some who were ignorant to her policies, or who were led by the nose by shock Jock's and some newspapers who felt it their duty to discredit her at every turn. She withstood this barrage of negativity to implement some worthy policies that made Australia a much better place. The legacy will live on.

Actually Keith, "Shock Jock" as you call it, save the country from further disaster. Do you mean to say that majority of my country folk is stupid? I don't think so; you are saying we are swayed by one radio station? You really are a worry. And the likes of you.I don't mind difference of opinion but do mind attack on my country sovereignty and my people.

November 22, 2013 at 2:23 pm |

Keith

In reply to taxpayer
Shock Jocks save the country from further disaster, remind me to send a thank you card to Ray and Alan. I think John laws said it once, I'm an entertainer, I entertain. Or something to that effect. In other words if you want serious news listening to Sydney shock Jocks are probably the last place to find serious unbiased news. As to your comment do I mean to say that the majority of country folk are stupid. No of course not, it's just people like you that give them a bad reputation. You say, you really are a worry, don't worry I'll be okay. But I have no idea what you're talking about , attack on my country sovereignty and my people. Have you considered that your people might include me. Remember in Australia we have freedom of speech, you may not agree with what you read or hear but even shock Jocks have a right to have a say.

November 22, 2013 at 10:00 pm |

Carol Smith

I so agree with you Keith well said

November 25, 2013 at 7:25 pm |

Christine Spry

Julieanne,
I couldn't agree more with your summation. Julia Gillard failed in her interview to mention that this "spying" controversy happened under the her watch during the Rudd, Gillard, Rudd debacle of a Labor Govt we have had to endure for the last 6 years.
The timing of it in the news has been politically motivated by a left wing media in Australia to cruel the intention of Tony Abbotts Govt to halt the people smuggling problem from Indonesia.
There is no doubt in my mind that this will blow over as Australia has been a very big benefactor of AID to Indonesia and if you've ever been there you will now that money talks.
It is sad to see a former PM of our Country being so Un Australian.
If Christine is unaware, Julia's endless mysogeny rants were always used to deflect major issues in Parliament.
It was used and abused as a cover up for the inept way she handled the economy and also to garner sympathy from many of her own Labor party members who were disgusted with how she came to power, by metaphorically knifing their elected Prime Minister.
Julia virtually spammed the media and I for one will be happy if I never have to see her ever again.
She has single handedly set back the cause of women here for many decades in my opinion.

Australia's aid to Indonesia is something in the order of $500 million annually, compared to trade between the two countries which I think comes in at about $15 billion. I will stand corrected if I'm wrong but I have the feeling that Australia would be a big loser if Indonesia decided to cut us off.

November 22, 2013 at 10:06 pm |

KenJ

Spot on with your observations of the truly revolting Ms. Gillard.
But I disagree strongly with your views on Tony Abbott. His negative style might have worked when he was in opposition, but the current set-to with Indonesia is but a sample of what you can expect in the future. Leading the country requires a different set of skills. Mr. Abbott does not have the subtlety or ability to lead a G20 country into the future.

Yes I agree Ken, Abbott was a brilliant opposition opponent with his relentless negativity, it worked a treat. But now he is the chief, diplomatic skills are required to resolve this unfortunate snooping on our good friends in Indonesia. Has Prime Minister Abbott such skills, so far he appears slow to react to what could be an absolute disaster.

November 22, 2013 at 10:12 pm |

edwardslyndall

Thanks Julianne but you will find that thousands of Australians of both genders continue to support the work of Julia Gillard and will continue to reflect positively on her time in office. The impact of Australia's misogynist culture is born out in verifiable statistics. Our nearest neighbour New Zealand puts us to shame regarding women's participation in the workforce, equality of remuneration and representation in management and executive ranks. To say that this societal situation of the status of women would not impact on any woman in power would be naive. Many misogynists have female daughters by the way, these things are not mutually exclusive. These problems are deeper than this period of time in politics. The tempting thing to do is to treat it all too simplistically; rather like looking at today's weather and make a pronouncement on climate change.

Well you don't speak for me Marianne. I still miss having Julia Gillard as leader. Her total commitment to making life better for all Australians stands in complete contrast to the current clutz we have in charge. I particularly liked the fact that as PM Julia Gillard did not toady to the Murdoch press.

She has been replaced by a complete weathervane who will be a pushover for big business. Already in my state moves have been made to delist world heritage forest areas so environmental vandalism is high on their agenda. They seem determined also to take from the poorest in our country while entrenching government handouts for the wealthy. It looks like Ms Gillard's transformative reforms in improving education funding and disability care will be trashed.

Our country's reputation has already been trashed on the world stage by Abbott's hubristic mishandling of Indonesian relations and Australia's unconstructive participation at the current climate summit. We now have a government pollster and adviser who thinks it is ok to tweet insulting comments regarding international leaders. And it's early days yet.

I could go on but I will close by referring to the last part of your comment. Ms Gillard has nothing to fear from this mysogenist confection of lies promulgated by a sacked reporter and fueled incessantly by the Murdoch gutter Press.

Just name a single person who wasn't leeching of the hard working Australians whos life is better because of her? You are just another communist handbag mafia member living of the sweat from other peoples backs.Australia has 22 million people and went from having 70 billion in the bank with no debt to owing over 400 billion in six years with buggar all to show for it.Lets have a look at the 7% unemployment rate and the 60,000 illegal refugees who have invaded our country.Ill get you all to have a look in three years at how different and better it is in our country with a government that isn't selling its people out

Please read the Communist Manifesto, before you make such statements! Educate yourself then you won't make such uneducated statements! Study the history of Australian politics, Left and Right, the Westminister system, Democracy, Socialism and Communism. learn, study, find out the facts! Don't just believe rhetoric, ok, as the 'truth will set you free! "

November 21, 2013 at 11:18 pm |

Leanne from Perth, Western Australia

Holly,
Due to your lovey Miss Gillard and her government's anti-business policies, my partner's roof plumbing business, is about to go into liquidation. Construction companies are going under, and it all flowing down the line. We have already layed off fifteen employees and there is no money left to pay next weeks wages. We have not paid ourselves for a number of weeks now, just to keep the guys going. So don't talk to me about, "supposed wealthy business owners" because, she has killed most of them off and left them with massive personal debt (ie:- mortgaging the house to keep the business going) and now more unemployed! Hope your happy!!

Yes, you are absolutely right! Howard put us on the path to destruction during his reign and the advances that the ALP created for Australia -although only in power by a bees whisker- is extraordinary ( saved us from global economic crisis with the stimulus package for all Australians, reforms to education, introduction of a better disability scheme, new gymnasiums in schools, rebates for solar, broadband network, paid parental leave, to list goes on...l). It's a shame that 86% of our press is run by Murdoch and Fairfax who are so right winged biased and negative, as it is this news that the majority watch, read and believe. The majority of Australians are ignorant politically, that is why Abbott got in with only 33%! Most people have no idea where their votes are going when they vote for a micro part and indeed most go the Liberal. It's high time Australians started looking a little deeper for facts, and stropped believing rhetoric as the Coalition have no desire to make this country great, only to make it harder for 95% and to take us back to pre- 1950 policies of rape and pillage of the environment. They want to rip up the Great Barrier Reef, rip up Tasmanian forests and whatever other natural resource the 'fat cats' can get their hands on! They are ignorant, self-serving people, who have no idea what the word , Commonweath means.

How the hell can you be elected with 33% of the vote? The Liberal Party won by a mile and one look at the respective numbers in each party tells you that is a nonsense. Amazing how careless with the truth the Labor followers are!!!!!

How can you presume that I am a Labor voter? In answer to how the hell can you be elected with 33% votes? You can because many of the micro parties votes went to Liberal such as Katters's Australian Party, Palmer United Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Family First and National Party of Australia. Australia is no longer Labor vs Liberal. We need to be educated as to where our micro party votes go, and as it stands today the majority go to Liberal. Please see, http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Australian_federal_election,_2013

November 22, 2013 at 6:24 pm |

notafan

Sorry, Australia's strong resource sector and tighter private borrowing regime saved us from the GFC. The insulation programme was scammed to high heaven, resulting in 4 deaths and hundreds of house fires. The Green Loans schme was so back Labor itself dumped it in 2010. . Gonski education reform was never delivered. NDIS disability scheme was never delivered and even with a new medicare loading ridiculously underfunded. The promisess promises promises surplus surplus surplus ended up a 300 billion deficit. Ms Gillard maxed the credit card and then some.

I could not disagree more with Julianne. Gableend has very succinctly described Abbot to a tee. He is the worst thing to have happened in Australian politics since I can remember and I feel embarrassed that my country voted him in to begin with. That there is not an massive outcry in opposition to his ridiculous and dangerous ideas and policies, which I might add were not forthcoming before or in fact during the election campaign at all, astonishes me. He is a mean spirited selfish man with no regard to future consequences or basic human rights for the people who need our support the most.

heres an example of the handbag mafia.Tony Abbott has been PM for 8 weeks or so and is classed as the worst PM ever? it looks bad because he has 6 years of incompetent communist sluge to clean out of the system.The reds are screaming like banshees but the majority of loyal Australians are right behind their new PM Tony Abbott

Yep Michelle, it's actually nauseating to watch and hear how our own taxpayer-funded national broadcaster is actively undermining and deliberately doing harm to an ELECTED government. They just don't seem to get it that Labor lost the last election. And what's this screaming for PM Abbott to apologise to Indonesia for something the Rudd government did several years ago? Just plain stupid, but far worse than that, calculatedly damaging (arguably seditious and treacherous) to a duly elected and sitting government. Like I said, they just can't accept that fact that the MAJORITY of Australians soundly rejected the Labor/Green/yellow-striped independents rabble coalition at the last election.

November 21, 2013 at 6:43 pm |

ruth

fully agree with you julianne. the rudd/gillard government had a chance to set this country up financially for a prosperous future. instead they sent us deeply into debt lowered our standard of living and were so busy proving how generous they were by donating most of the borrowed money overseas and ignoring australians who were devastated by natural disasters. the incompentence of these 2 leaders was beyond belief. "there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead" says julia on the election trail. whats the first thing she did? yep you guessed it. she brought in a carbon tax. she and her emily's listers wanted to legalise late term abortions that is abort babies up to 8 months gestation. nice. she is much more a misogynist than our current pm. he has a hell of a lot of work to do to try and fix what labor destroyed. as for the spying allegations that happened under rudd and the guardian/abc had that info in june. why did they wait til now to publish it? maybe because it would have affected labor election chances? now they can try to make tony the scapegoat

November 21, 2013 at 8:24 pm |

Leanne from Perth, Western Australia

Totally agree with you Michelle! The champagne bottle popped big time, on the evening of the 7th September, 2013 but it was too late for our family business.

November 21, 2013 at 8:36 pm |

Yasas

As a recently (and also legally) arrived immigrant living in Australia, I must say Julia Gillard has not only betrayed her countrymen but also immigrants like me, by letting in hoards of illegal unwanted people into Australia without its people's consent. Also there were many policy flops by her and her government. Overwhelming number of voters who voted for Mr. Abbot could not be wrong and you cannot ignore that fact over the gender politics. She used the gender card in a very disgusting way.

All I want to say is, if the vote in the last Election was first past the post, the Labor Partly would have 7 people sitting in Opposition. Not a lot more needs to be said, the Australian voting population knew exactly what to do with an incompetent Government who have bankrupted the Country. Just imagine the 11 billion dollars being there to help the people who know what the rules are to come to this Country

November 21, 2013 at 7:34 pm |

notafan

The majority of Australians voted for Mr Abbott. This female believes him to be a man of principle and integrity. I love the way luvvies think so many of us are brainwashed by the conservative media. Apparently only those on the left know how to use their brains. It is so utterly condescending to suggest that because someone holds a different opinion to yours that they are incapable of rational thought.
BTW
Governments can make all the promises they like but taxpayers have to pay for them.
Man -made climate change is a theory. The onus is on the holders of the theory to show the empirical data supports their theory. Saying x % of scientists agree isn't good enough.
Carbon (dioxide) is nessessary for plants to grow. The climate has always changed. A slightly warmer climate would be a good thing. The IPCC itself states there is a low probability there is a link between 'climate change' and extreme weather events. The Carbon Tax inflicted on Australia by Ms Gillard was a lie and a disgrace.
We can all agree that using resources wisely and not causing pollution is a good thing. Carbon dioxide is not pollution.

Julia Gillard is currently a person of interest in a Police Fraud Squad investigation. There is a reasonable chance she will be charged with a number of offences, but the investigation has yet to reach its conclusion. In addition, a judicial enquiry into the matter is being planned by the current government, who hold the opinion that Ms Gillard broke the law and enabled a fraud to occur. Ms Gillard has repeatedly denied all of the allegations.

You are referring to the AWU 'scandal' that has been investigated umpteen times, with a known fraudster making allegations from hiding, he is eluding the Australian federal Police. Or are these the allegations brought up by a dismissed former partner of Slater and Gordon who has links to the Liberal Party and is still sour about his dismissal

billie,shes going to jail mate and we will cheer.you can continue in your defence of your handbag mafia leader all you like,I bet you even have a pair of her glasses you all wear.time is coming for gillard

November 21, 2013 at 6:48 pm |

billie11

What I would really like to see is Ashby, Doane, Pyne, Hockey on sedition charges as a logical result of the Justice Steven Arares decision handed down 12 December 2012.

Will never happen of course with our totally partisan Australian Federal Police

November 21, 2013 at 7:14 pm |

tony

no mate the accomplice is not in hiding, he is actively co-operating with police

November 21, 2013 at 7:53 pm |

Leanne from Perth, Western Australia

Billie11
If you are talking about Mr Ralph Blewitt, you need to be aware, that he is not in hiding. He is currently living in Malaysia, with his Malaysian wife. He came forward, to the Victorian Police Fraud Squad off his own back and has provided them with a Stat Dec and is fully co-operating with their investigation. If you are talking about Mr Bruce Wilson (Gillard's former, married at the time, boyfriend), the police also know where he is and he is being less than co-operative, as far as I know. As for that Gillard woman, she is will have her comuppence!! The fraud has never been fully investigated because the construction companies were too scared to come forward to police. Now, a full and proper investigation it is happening. If you want to know the full story about the fraud, I suggest that you log onto http://www.michaelsmithnews.com Remember Michael Smith, the 2UE radio presenter that Gillard had a role in his removal from his job because he was going to tell all about the fraud. You may learn a lot about your precious Gillard and the type of person that she is, if you care to do some research. (Or are you employed by The ABC and don't know what the term, "research", means)

November 21, 2013 at 8:50 pm |

Bushy

You are either a liar or are woefully ill-informed. The first investigation was stymied by the present leader of the opposition amongst other leaders of the trade union movement and the AWU. There has been no credible evidence for the Victoria Police to use to begin a investigation before Ralph Blewitt,, one of the fraudsters, came forward to counter the personal damage that Gillard did to two journalists who were in the business of making public the claims against her. She is a nasty piece of work and you are one of her minions.

Ms Amanpour, the alleged spying occurred whilst the Government, of which Ms Gillard was Deputy Prime Minister so she would have been aware of it. Tony Abbott has shown remarkable maturity not taking the cheap line of blaming the former Government. Also, as some have mentioned, Ms Gillard is currently the subject of a Police investigation so I hope she is enjoying the limelight while she can. She has a very shady past.

Well said Barbara. Her hypocracy and scant regard for facts or truth are the reason 70% of Australians could not tolerate her as PM. She could not earn our trust. No amount of story telling will change that now.

Hi
Ms Gillard is a known liar ("there will be no Carbon tax under a government I lead") and is currently under police investigation. There are 23 million other Australians that are much more worthy to listen to.

Reading these comments shows thatt there is a fair amount of moderation on what is or isn't displayed. I can walk down any street in Australia asking opinions of Gillard, and the vast majority of Australians will say she is the worst PM we have ever had, was a viscious liar, dishonest, and had no agenda but her own legacy. And the vast majority of Australians are correct. Please keep her there. She degrades our company by her presence.

Agree with you Julia Gillard was the worst prime minister ever. For those who believe otherwise I would recommend they read the 5 part series in the Fairfax papers and then make up their mind. Gillard was the union's puppet and now is being reinvented as a victim.

Who is paying for the Gillard supporters to write the rubbish they are on this blog?
The people who continue to interview Gillard with soft and soapy interviews will end up ruining any credibility they may have should the ‘flawed’ Ms Gillard end up being charged by Victoria Police with fraud.

Ms Gillard is the most incompetent person ever so she should not be advising anyone. A failed lawyer, an untrustworthy deputy who at stabbed Kevin Rudd PM in the back, who ruined the Labor party, who was the worst PM in the history of Australia. Who has retired with millions of dollars at 50 years of age whilst millions of tax payers are condemned to work, ti,,they are 70 years old. And pay for the NBN the disability scheme and all the crazy ideas that she had. Go away as nothing you say or has ever said is of any interest to us.

Gillard was also Australia's worst Prime Minister and was so disastrous Labor had to recycle a once failed PM Kevin Rudd. Nothing Gillard says is worth listening to but it seems she has conned you gullible Americans. Then and again, you voted Obama in.. twice. Need we say any more :-)

Why are you even talking to this nobody? The damage she has done to Australia will take decades to repair. Even her own party of lowlifes found her too low for them. Looks like her leftie/communist PR machine is still alive and well, eh?

I bet there are many countries that wished they had been so badly managed as Australia which
lifted GDP to 12 largest,
pays 22% of our income in tax,
has 5% unemployment
had government debt at less than 20% of GDP

5% unemployment? get real,your as big a liar as Gillard fool.Its more like 8% and higher in some starts still run by labor party.Ill name them for you,Tasmaia looking at 13% or more,South Australia looking at 10% and both under labor party control for 10 years or more.You can argue the facts and your lies are pathetic

November 21, 2013 at 6:52 pm |

MiMi

5% unemployment? Wake up! I am unemployed, but won't be counted as a statistic, because I have money in the bank so cannot get anything from the government (nor would I want to). I know for a fact that I am not Robinson Crusoe. Pretty sure you'll find that if the true number were ever worked out it would be closer to 10% unemployed.

Unemployment is more than 5% as I suspect y ou already know. There is also the fact disguised by this statistic the proportion of part-time jobs to full-time jobs is increasing.

Regarding the 20% debt – please note that Australia is a federation, so the federal government has fewer responsibilities to fund – things like health, transport, police, education etc remain state issues. The Rudd/Gillard governments also inflated Australia's GDP through increased government spending which was not productive (the private sector contribution to GDP comes from producing and selling something people want, government is just spending, no matter what). Also, our ranking as an economy might have a little to do with other countries floundering as well, and the high Aussie dollar (comparing different economimes means measuring against a single currency).

Julia Gillard was a disaster for Australia. Apart from disasterous economic management, there was the CO2 tax she swore we would not get (but which the Greens demanded), her attempt to regulate the press (Finkelstein's monster), oh, and who could miss the great misogyny speech – a rant accusing the then opposition leader (who created the annual pollie-pedal to raise money for breast cancer research, has raised three independent daughters and who has chosen a woman as his chief of staff – quite a key role) of misogyny just to shield a conniving shyster who snickered that thought women's genitalia looked like shelled mussels. Which one do you think showed a lack of respect for women? Abbott or Slipper? She then went on to start support groups like 'Women for Gillard', and on her road trip to Western Sydney locked herself away with a group of 'Mummy Bloggers'. She pushed the gender issue every chance she got.

She unseated Gough as the worst PM in Australia's history. Now that was an achievement (of sorts).

Hopefully her next interview will be with the Crown Prosecutors.

November 22, 2013 at 12:08 am |

Warren

Didn't this woman and her buddy Rudd and their rancid ministers such as Stephen Smith and Bob Carr publicly castigate Israel for using Australian passports in intelligence/defence operations at the same time as it now turns out Australia was spying on Indonesia and other neighbouring countries? Is this racism? What arrogant, sick hypocrisy!

the most dividing,deceptive,lying,unworthy person that Australia ever got stuck with as their PM.This woman took womens rights back a hundred years in this country.She was and is absolutely hated with a passion.She is a communist who tried to steal Australians rights to free speech,she formed groups of women full of hatred which we called the handbag mafia which has totally divided the Australian people and turned men in this country against women in such a way it will take decades to fix.You can keep her because she is hated in this country and most Australians who can will remember her as a lying filthy dog

Michelle I totally agree with you but please don't liken her to a dog – it's insulting to dogs. Dogs are nice, they are loyal, they don't lie or cheat, they are not vain, they don't go into politics and stuff up our Country – dogs are good please don't insult them. Thank you

Former Australian Prime MinisterJulia Gillard is currently being investigated by Victoria Major Fraud and Extortion Squad for her role in the AWU fraud scandal. Her former law office was raided in June by police with a warrant to remove Gillard's files.Police are due back in court Dec 2 to apply for access to Gillards files which they alledge were used in the furtherance of a fraud.

Congratualations Christiane! You've just interviewed the worst PM Australia has ever had. Currently under investigation by the Major Fraud Squad of the Victoria Police it's not surprising she is making the most of her freetime by traipsing across the World whilst she still can!

What the hell was that? British people give the most aid in the world which considering how small we are reflects terribly on the usa and every other wealthy nation. America is supposed to be Britains biggest ally but since Obamas been in control theres been lots of anti Brit talk. The fact you speak our language and was created by Europeans a large proportion British youd think you would know better! Think Britain would be better off not helping America in there oil wars and start hating america like every other country does.

Jean rumours? Current Police investigation into Gillard's shady past is fact. Also fact and not rumour is Victoria police with warrant in hand issued by a Melbourne magistrate, removed boxes of Gillards work files from the law firm Slater and Gordon who sacked her in 1995 over conduct in this matter. Gillard's name was recently read out in court as a person who as a lawyer assisted in the furtherance of a fraud.Much much more to come very involving Gillard and the AWU fraud when police will soon lay charges.

PM Gillard led a tremendously courageous & reforming government and she is greatly missed. Rumours to undermine her legacy still continue with no substance...some boys have trouble accepting a woman as PM in 2013.

Michelle, if the education reforms that PM Gillard started were present in your day, maybe you would have learned correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

November 22, 2013 at 2:10 am |

Over it

Jean, this particular WOMAN cannot accept that Gillard left us any decent legacy at all. This particular WOMAN believes Gillard damaged the "cause" of women more than anyone in decades. She was lauded on vacuous websites across the world for her "kick-ass" misogyny rant, however that serves only to highlight the inanity of her "followers" and the shallowness of modern society. Her "policies" were thought bubbles, expected to be paid for by a diminishing workforce as more industry and manufacturing was lost overseas in the face of an increasingly hostile business climate under her and Rudds policies. If you choose to ignore the fact that there is a very real Victoria Police Fraud Squad investigation underway into Gillards past dealings and behaviour as a lawyer, fine, bury your head in the sand, but you won't be able to ignore it forever. Enough of looking at the disaffected bleatings of the ignorant here, I'm off to do some real work. Pfffftt!

haha gableend good try. That link is Gillard's fb page which is moderated. This page, however, is open to all to reply to, which means that the comments on this page would give more of an indication of who thinks what about Gillard. But hey if you want to go to her fb page and read the revised version and not know what is really going on then you go there. I prefer to find out what is REALLY happening and base my judgement on the TRUTH.

November 22, 2013 at 12:05 am |

SteveX

Yes, she allows no critical commentary on her Facebook page. I had the temerity to post including a reference to her former (?) communist associations and it was quickly removed and, strangely, I can no longer post. Free speech for some on her Animal Farm I suppose.

Well wasn't this just more rubbish from Gillard. She and Rudd will go down as the worst Prime Ministers in Australian history. She stabbed him, he stabbed her and they both got what they deserved. It was never about misogyny, that's the cover story she puts out. Gillard was incompitant, pure and simple, the Australian people got sick of the lies, broken promises and lack of thought out policy. It was bedlam under Rudd and Gillard, debt grew, money was squandered, Labor cronies were appointed to positions well beyond their capabilities and the voters got tired of the whole mess and ousted them. There is no doubt about it, Gillard has a world of trouble infront of her over the AWU Scandle which as PM she tried so hard to put to bed. Gillard did more damage to the cause of women in Australian politics than any man has ever done and I look forward to the day Australia elects a femal Prime Minister that can undo Gillards damage.

It seems the interviewer did not know that Julia Gillard is currently under investigation by the Major Fraud Squad of the Victoria Police. This isn't surprising as the interviewer is probably also unaware of the lengths this woman went to to stop the story getting out to the general public. People lost their jobs over her threatening our "FREE PRESS" (I use this term loosley now in Australia unfortunately). Julia Gillard leaves a black mark on Australian politics and it's sad to see her STILL manipulating what one would normally consider educated people. I suggest for those who have no idea what so many commenters her do and are talking about- you just have to google "Julia Gillard AWU Scandal". GET EDUCATED PEOPLE!

thank you for the interview with PM Gillard and please try to keep the trolls off this blog. Everyone I know was devastated when PM Gillard lost the ballot to Rudd, but that was intelligent men & women of Australia.

you should get out more and meet the real people living in AUSTRALIA because then you will have to come to grips with the truth.you have made life harder for women in Australia and your red handbag mafia leader was and is hated by real Australian women

Me too. I was surprised when I actually met 2 people who owned up to voting Labor during her last years, and even they were embarrassed by their choice. I found widespread condemnation of her and of Kevin in the community from people, many of whom offered unsolicited opinions on politics, something I found to be a novel development for a people who generally don't profer political opinions

agree Kevin, Julia had class & would of already handled Indonesia in a decent way as she knows how to negotiate with people. Abbott has no qualities that will help with handling these delicate matters apart from uuuummmm aaahhhh !!

Julia Gillard should not be given any airtime. You are mistaken to think she is held in high regard or given any credence in this country. She was sacked by her own party. She was the most incompetent and deceptive leader our country has ever seen. You would be well advised to not rely on her for any opinion. She is under police investigation and has a very serious case to answer. She has had more than her time on the political stage and was a national embarrassment.

Totally agree with you Robyn and all the other people who have lived in Australia who saw the destruction and division created by one person in Julia Gillard whose ambitiion almost destroyed this country of ours. Shame if this person is able to rewrite history to make her look like the victim when in many situations she appeared to be the perpetator. No loss there. I did NOT vote for Tony Abbott or the Coalition. STill glad to see her removed.

Apart from her cheer squad in the far left feminist sister hood, gillard was the most despised person to have ever (dis)graced the office of prime minister. It may interest you to know that she is actively being investigated by police for frauds committed by her buddies in the union movement, who have ripped off and betrayed the workers they allegedly represent. This will be her historical epitah when the court cases begin.

Not rubbish at all, as I am sure you are fully aware, Col. Nothing to do with the Murdoch Press either, Col. Go to http://www.michaelsmithnews.com and spend some time educating yourself fully re the AWU scandal and the current investigations by the Fraud & Extortion Squad of the Victorian Police. The matter is back in Court on 2/12/2013 – but I am sure you are also fully aware of that fact, Col. Julia Gillard is a person of interest in a major Police investigation. Read about her rise to the high office of Prime Minister – and the major cover up that got her there.

November 22, 2013 at 7:08 am |

Charlie

For her 50th birthday, Julia Gillard was given a dog she named Reuben. It is a cavoodle which is a cross between a cavalier king charles spaniel and a poodle. Well, the way Ms Gillard lied and misled the Australian electorate, it would probably have been more appropriate if she had been given a cross between a bulldog and a shih tzu.

My only question is how do all these people have so much free time to be trolls in the comments section of a CNN blog. Do you guys not have jobs or school to go to today? Maybe it's school holidays already and the kids have nothing better to do than sit on their computer and copy and paste the same comment over and over again

These people commenting Andy are the ones who just follow Julia Gillard, just so they can spew hatred in the comment section. I personally don't like Abbott because of what he did to send Pauline Hanson to jail, but I don't follow him everywhere just to tell everyone how I don't like him. Eventually they'll find a new target poor lost souls.

Didn't agree with everything she did or said but I really do believe history will judge her kindly. Her minority parliament introduced some great landmark reforms, hopefully the current incompetent, backward mob will fail in dismantling or ruining them.

Everyone has ideas but you have to be able to deliver. What did she actually DO? She saddled future PM's with massive debt so they have no chance of implementing genuine programmes that actually work. History will judge her for the useless piece of union thug trash she has proven herself to be.

Simple question to all of you 'intelligent" Gillard lovers, if she has done nothing wrong & has stated many times "I have done nothing wrong" then why sack journos who were ready to disclose information of her past treachery, For excellent information read MichaelSmith News .com. So be prepared you non believers because it will HAPPEN!

So the most dishonest incompetent PM in our history, someone who is currently under police investigation for involvement in fraud, is offering advice? Oh and advice on a problem she created. Get real. Even Labor knew she was toxic and axed her.

There is no doubt that the appointment of Australia's first female Prime Minister was a significant event. Her party were looking at a significant defeat under Rudd when she (and they) betrayed Kevin. She was indeed given a honeymoon, and she used the goodwill of the Australian people by rushing to the polls. That she was successful at that election indicates that this so called anti-female issue in Australia is not particularly significant. Her subsequent fall from grace can be tied to her performance, with sequential drops in support reasonably easily tied to real issues rather than gender. It is sad that an element of the Australian media is hellbent on rewriting history for partisan reasons. I have been voting in this country for a long time. I have never seen a worse six years for federal government than that of 2007-13. Even Gough Whitlam balanced his books. If he had a grand idea, he funded it by tax increases (oh and the confiscation of federal servant super contributions into consolidated revenue). We could all have good ideas. Having good ideas like NDIS does not make a great leader. Bringing in NDIS with a sound plan to pay for it by tax increases and getting the voter to accept that plan, that is what makes a great leader. Bringing in projects that actually deliver, that makes a good leader. Julia (and Kevin) will never qualify as anything other than disasters. And I have voted ALP much more than other parties over my voting life.

With all due respect to CNN and your audience. You have made a very big mistake, even contemplating giving this piece of........... the time of day. She has destroyed Australia! We were once a proud and rich country but she and her socialist cronies, went out of their way to destroy us. It was six years of hell, having the ALP in power, and this is coming from a former ALP supporter. This piece of ..... is nothing but a liar and a thief and I can't wait for the day that she is thrown into the slammer, for her role in the Australian Workers Union Fraud that she had a major role in. As for this bulls..t that she craps on about, being thrown out of office because she is a woman, is nothing but pure crap!! She and Kevin Rudd are the most hated individuals that Australia has ever had the misfortune to produce! You have no idea how angry I am, that you would even take anything that comes out of that lying mouth of hers seriously!!!

The moment you spouted that discredited most polluting per capita figure you disgraced yourself

First of all I note the unbounded scientific illiteracy of classifying CO2 as pollution – Sorry but there is no official classification of the trace gas, the basis for all life on earth, the source of almost all our oxygen, and our food, CO2 as pollution in Australia.- you are in fact WRONG – in Australia CO2 is not Pollution.

Secondly, Australia, has massive forests that alone sink more than ten times (10 X) our total anthropogenic emissions, our oceans, grasslands and farms at least another ten times. Australia emits NOTHING, Australia absorbs CO2! In fact since 2000 there has been a 6% greening and Australia is now absorbing at least 120% of our emissions more than in 2000, we reabsorb our own emissions and some of the rest of the world as well. Let me make it perfectly clear, the Nett absorption of CO2 in Australia exceeds 1/3 of the entire worlds anthropogenic emissions! We haul ass to use an American term in CO2 sinking.

Really, the media should learn some basic science, and it's about time Australia mailed out the invoice to the UN for all the carbon dioxide sinking we do.

Tony, in case you ever come back to look. The equation is self evident, Forests sink about 55T of CO2 per Annum per Ha and Australia has 149.4 Million Ha of Forest leading to a sink size of 8.2 GT CO2. Australia's Emissions from March 2012 to March 2013 is 557.0 MT CO2e from the National Greenhouse inventory report 2013. 8.2 GT/0.55 GT = 15 ie Australia's Forest Absorption is 15 times emission. I just round it down to 10 x for convenience.

Now if we consider the sink size, for each 1% increase in photosynthesis in the forests must consume 1% extra CO2 And thus the Forest biosequestration increases 0.01x 8.2 GT or 82 MT per percent increase in photosynthesis activity. For Australia Forests alone to completely sink Australia's emissions bioproductivity needs to change 550/82 or 6.7 percent. We could do that simply by increasing forested areas 8 million Hectares from 149 Million Hectares to 157 Million Hectares. In Australia, it's easy to do that, just leave the land alone and it grows. This is the basis of our current governments direct action policy, it's cheap and easy.

But you don't need to even do that!

It's known that 1/2 of Anthropogenic emissions dissappears every year, and that's assumed to be increased uptake, some of which is ocean uptake, but let's say for a doubling of CO2, plant productivity rises by just a third on average. Then Australia's forest will completely offset CO2 relative to 1990 at the point CO2 reaches 6.7/.33 or about 20% over 1990 CO2 Levels. In 1990 CO2 was about 350 PPM, so we reach zero effective emission (relative to 1990) as CO2 reaches 1.2 x 350 or 420 PPM, which should happen in about 7 years.

Not complicated, a little research and a bit of high school math.

Note, this doesn't take into account Australia's massive farming areas, grasslands, and oceanic sinks. Taking them into account easily doubles Net Absorption to at least 30 x emissions (11 GT or so) and probably more like 50 times emission. (15 – 25 GT). In this scenario we reached zero emissions relative to 1990 about 10 years ago though increased CO2 consumption of forests alone.

One must remember that Carbon Dioxide emission has a negative feedback associated with it, the higher the level in the atmosphere, the faster it is sucked out.

November 24, 2013 at 9:08 am |

Wendy

Could CNN please ask Ms Gillard about the police investigated in Victoria Australia??? Now that would be investigative journalism.

The world's media outlets have remarkable opportunity to speak to one of the true leaders of the Australian political landscape. Not only was Julia Gillard the first woman Prime Minister there has been no other Prime Minister who was withstood such an abusive and disruptive opposition party, as the coalition led by Tony Abbott.
We forget just how difficult those three years of Gillard's leadership were, Gillard had to negotiate with several independents and the Australian Greens in a hung Parliament. In her own party Kevin Rudd was constantly undermining her. The fact that Julia Gillard survived three years is remarkable in itself. We in Australia will never forget that remarkable misogyny speech, delivered superbly, missed by many mainstream media outlets in Australia. But the world heard it and they loved it.
Gillard will go down in history as one of the greatest Prime Minister's Australia has had.

Very Well said Keith, & something needs to be said of the boys club media in Australia who only rubbished the misogyny speech & never got it, actually MSM in Australia only ever get what Rupert Murdoch wants to report.Now we have The rest of the world got it

Gibletts or JuLIAR as she is fondly named by Australians with a functioning brain know the witch is under investigation by the Victorian Fraud Squad for being a part of a major fraud that stole hundreds of thousands if not millions of $$$ off lowly paid union members. The whistleblower – himself a union leader allbeit one with a conscience has been beaten by thugs in the street. This woman who has the gall to portray innocence and act squeaky clean has set back the possibilty of another woman ever being PM of Australia by a generation. She is an absolute disgrace!!

Dear Roy, there is no investigation into Julia Gillard it's just a political rumour designed damage her integrity at the time she was Prime Minister. That's all it ever was, that's all it ever will be. The coalition saw an opportunity to do some political damage to Prime Minister Gillard. The only person that seems to be trying to keep the story going is some fellow, I can't remember his name but he was once a shock Jock and he got sacked. And ever since then he reckons Gillard was responsible. The poor man needs psychiatric treatment. It's just like Trump claiming Pres Obama is not an American citizen. The truth is in front of them, they just don't want to see it.

Keith, the investigation is being done by the Victorian police Fraud Squad. They have spent months preparing the case for court and raided the legal offices where she was working at the time of the alleged offence. This was done while she was still Prime Minister. Although she used her position to gag the press, even a PM can't over rule the police. Her day in court is due soon.

November 22, 2013 at 1:27 am |

Leah

Keith, you do realise that comments made in Parliament should not be repeated outside Parliament without you knowing them to be true?

November 22, 2013 at 1:55 am |

Keith

Dear Leah
thank you for that little gem, I will say what I like, it's called freedom of speech.
And it is true, Donald Trump wanted to see Pres Obama's birth certificate because he didn't believe he was an American citizen.
And after Prime Minister Abbott repeals the racial discrimination act law, "the Andrew Bolt law," I will be free to vilify who I like. But I will not lower myself to that level.

November 22, 2013 at 3:17 am |

Tony

Keith, you do realise that comments made in Parliament should not be repeated outside Parliament without you knowing them to be true?
Reply to Leah, If that was true then the Murdoch newspapers would have nothing to print.

November 22, 2013 at 4:15 am |

Leah

Tony and Keith, you really should educate yourselves about Parliamentary Privilege.

November 22, 2013 at 4:20 pm |

Eric

What the hell did Julia accomplish except for dividing Australia and running the budget into a deficit of at least $300 billion!!!

Hahahaha. You Aussies are so full of yourselves. It doesn't matter which administration it happened under, YOUR COUNTRY did this and there's no excusing it away. As for the present Prime Minister saying nothing about the act itself but rather apologizing because it became public is nothing short of being hilarious. The present Prime Minister is trouble. I can tell just by this response to what has happened...Oh, we're not sorry for breaking the law, trust and expectation of privacy, but we are sorry that anyone found out about it. Just where do these people come from and who are the fools electing these buffoons?

What law did the Governemnt of Australia break, exactly? We have an official department for conducting intelligence operations just like the US so it would be hardly break our laws. Shame on the ABC for creating an international incident with our difficult and volatile neightbour. If it had just been a rag like the Guardian it would have been easily shrugged off.
The furore in Indonesia is not suprising considering that in Indonesian eyes the ABC is the official media representative of the Australian government so that this release of secret information would look like deliberate provocation.
Sadly the ABC does not feel it has any obligations to the taxpayer's that fund its operations.
Australia will continue to collect intelligence on Indonesia to protect Australian interests and Australian lives. Our Prime Minister will continue to act properly to protect our interests.

Why are you so spreading such nonsense relating to this 'NASTY ' woman – she has destroyed the social fabric within Australia and has provided record Debt for our children to repay – she has many things to atone for, and will soon be in court relating to a Major Fraud that she aided when she was a lawyer

This confrontation with Indonesia should give Australians a picture of what regard they are held. The phone tapping scandal is an issue that has been whipped by the press on purpose to show their distaste for Abbott. For the record this scandal occurred under Gillard and Rudd an yet Gillard has the temerity to give advice. I am absolutely sure that Indonesian intelligence community is up to and has been caught by the DSD and ASIO doing similar things here in Australia and in Indonesia. The only difference is that Australia do not make a big deal out of it and do not use it as an excuse to bash the Indonesians. The fact that Australia was amongst the first countries to offer over a billion dollars in aid as well as ongoing assistance to Indonesia counts for nothing. Australians should remember this and not fool themselves into thinking that they are held in any high regard.

Julia is in self denial especially her whinge about Kevin getting rid of her the second time but forgot about how she stab Kevin in the first place, and this complains about the guys being misogynistic is also rubbish. I would say keeping quiet would be the best option for her.

She is brilliant........and if other countries had a women like her in charge they would be so blessed......The UK AND USA need leadership and party policy like hers.She introducted new and many overdue legislation.She is a Star and like so many women stars people love to see them crash......may she live a long and happy life spreading her words and wisdom.......and well done Australia for giving her a chance.

Ignore his advise or your countries will all be left in as much debt as we are... Also watch your backs.
Please don't think for a moment we want her back its entirely the opposite you are welcome to keep.

Julia Gillard had 2 jobs, one as a lawyer in a well known firm, and as Prime Minister. In both cases she was told to leave. As a lawyer the firm's management was unhappy with her conduct as a lawyer and she was told to leave, and as a Prime Minister, her party sacked her.

Why on earth people do people want to interview Julia Gillard? She is as false as she was as Prime Minister. I'd rather forget she ever happened. Wait for a few more months and see all the mistakes Tony Abbott and his team have to correct after the Rudd/Gillard stint in the job and after the police investigation in Victoria has been finalised and then interview her again – that I will enjoy watching but sorry not this time.

Gillard,suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome.I am an Australian and I have had the misfortune of having had to live through and endure the worst Labor government in the history of this country. The Labor/Green Government led by Rudd then Gillard has been without any doubt the most incompetent,deceitful and wasteful government this nation has ever seen.
When the election was held on the 7 September 2013 and Tony Abbott was elected PM with a massive majority I have never celebrated so much about anything in my life. Gillard has never won an election in her own right. The only reason she was 'PM' of the country was because she knifed an elected PM and then was forced to form an alliance with the Greens and sell out this country with dirty back room deals to keep herself in power. She is the most despised ex- politician this country has ever had. You cannot believe one word she says.The woman is a disgrace.

She was not the worst leader that this country has had no matter how many millions of words the Murdoch press say against her. Now they have convinced the sheep reading their rags and watching the so called news on cable that Abbott was their saviour Australia has to suffer until the Libs wake up and get someone half decent to lead. We are being dragged in the same direction as the Yanks and that is not good.

Julia Gillard is prolific liar, a thief and a corrupt union puppet. Julia Gillard protected other union thieves whilst PM, because she herself has a past in frauds against unions. If CNN need the truth, they only have to contact Victoria Police, who are busy right now preparing a major fraud case against her.

Christiane, if you needed ANY evidence for how rabid the opposition to PM Gillard was, and, for whatever reason, remains, you need only turn to the comments against your own interview article. What a miserable bunch of wingers, still boo-hoo-ing about how "awful" for Australia she was, how immoral she was (a "liar"), how "incompetent", how she "destroyed" the country - DESTROYED, no less, as though the whole continent sank under the waves and 23 million boat people fled to Indonesia, I guess, well, I have no idea where they think we all went, last I checked the country is still there - how she was a "disgrace", a "snake" . . .

*sigh*
I'm not making this sh– up. I'm just quoting from this very page.
Was she a perfect Prime Minister?
No. None of them ever is.
She believed, quite erroneously, but very technocratically, that doing a good job was enough, that the marketing would solve a policy's opposition, and, unfortunately, the then-Opposition Leader was a consummate marketing machine, and with one-line slogans - "Stop the Boats", for example - and a constant and unwavering rate, he, like water on stone, slowly eroded her credibility and managed to sink her government.

Was she good for Australia? Yes, on balance, she was a rule-breaker that will undeniably have made it easier for more typical Australians to become PM, rather than the cookie-cutter stereotypes we tend to elect. And she did do some good, despite what they say.
Did she deserve this vitriol?
Not even for a minute. It was vile and this country should have afforded her better.
But, you'll never convince those who commented directly from their gall bladders above.

You gotta be kidding, the country barely survived the last 6 years of Labor and Gillard. The "Vitriol" on this page is the result of Australia reaction to her policies, her failures and her immoral behaviour. She's gone. Now we can have the adults in charge and so far, so good – TA's promises are being kept.

Well said Mike & Mr Negative Abbott is a one line machine because he can only string one sentence together at any given time. That sentence has to be mesmerized. The only speech Abbott can make off the top of his head is uuummmm aaaahhhh !!

Oh dear Mike forgot to mention all the dead boat people. Hundreds and hundreds of bodies. People who are dead because of Labor policy.

November 22, 2013 at 3:38 am |

notafan

So Australian voters (other than you) were brainwashed by three word slogans. Thankyou for for that only the left have brains piffle that gets trotted out to explain opinions contrary to your own.
The 50,000 arriving on the 'boats' in the last six years have so far cost Australia 3.5 Billion for processing, medical housing etc etc. Illegals arriving in Europe are left to fend for themselves. Check out the humpies on the side of the freeway to Charles de Gaulle.
The illegals who destroy the passports used to enter Indonesia in order to mislead Australian as to their status as genuine refugees . Enriching people smugglers who made millions not caring whether people lived or died on the perilous sea journey to Australia. Journeys undertaken on grossly overcrowded wooden boats without basic amenities such as life jackets. At least 1100 known to have perished. People encouraged by their deaths Ms Gillard's policies.
What a legacy!

I was quite excited about the prospect of our first female PM – I had thought never to see the likes in my lifetime. The result of Gillard being elected to the role of PM has set the women's cause back in this country by years. Her misogeny speach was the most shameful thing I have ever seen. So to anyone reading this – if you would like your daughter to view Ms Gillard as a role model – prepare yourself for a daughter with a who's who union list of "ex-partners" including married men, who is a liar and ends up before a judge. The Victorian Fraud Squad is in the middle of an investigation & my hope is that the people who stole money from union members, put people's lives at risk by making them use contaminated soil and attempted to silence our media will be sent to jail. She is an embarrassment to the women of this country.

Wasn't Nixon impeached for covering up and LYING to the American people? Who would have thought this little country would be looking at its own Watergate.

Stay tuned, CNN. Send some reporters Down Under to interview forensic news analyst Michael Smith as well as the very decent man who was caused to lose his job from The Australian, just for wanting to tell the people.

Ms Gillard is being investigated by the Victorian Police with regard to money missing from an AWU (Australian Workers Untion). Australian's don't like people who take from the lowest paid and justice will prevail soon... thats a fact... CNN keep your channels open as things are going to get very very murky for Gillard.... by the way she is not living with Tim, has not done for a long time and is now back living with her long term "female" companion, so lets get it right shall we?

If it's not true that Gillard is under major police investigation then why doesn't Gillard sue for defamation? I'll tell you why Col because it is absolute fact that she is a central suspect in the fraud and is looking at several years jail.

November 22, 2013 at 12:26 am |

Leanne from Perth, Western Australia

Yes Col! Timmy has not been seen around Gillard's multi-million dollar mansion on the foreshore of Brighton Beach in Adelaide. Neither has the dog Rubean. Actually Timmy has been spending a lot of time in his caravan, on his acre plot, situated on the banks of The Murray. You should really get out more Col and keep your ear to the ground. Gillard is currently been up with her mother (acceptable) and her 'girlfriend', that she was shacked up with in Canberra, before she knifed Kevvie!

November 22, 2013 at 12:29 am |

Pfft

Not to mention the fact that Labor placed a monetary value of zero on the lives of some Australian men when they were tragically killed at work in workplace accidents? No death Compensation – and Ms.Gillard knew all about it! Why didn't you ask her about that?

To all you right wing Abbott voters and anti Julia mis guided people above........the coalition and Abbott are the most dangerous , misogynist, hypocritical , inhumane people in our society.........you obviously want to believe the facist murdock press and haveforgotten john Howard bringing in workchoices, GST, total neglect of hospitals and education...and the labor party turning most of that around ......the abbott coalition is a disgrace only interested in the extreme wealthy .......and I doubt any of you fit that bracket...but are still happy for them to destroy the worker and small business.......wake you lot.........pathetic

Georgiana, I loved work choices, when it was in. It gave me freedom in the workplace and more money in my wallet! Since that piece of filth changed the laws to suit her union mates and to give them more power in the workplace, the company that I worked for went broke, not for want of trying to stay afloat and the owner left with a massive debt to pay back. The same thing is happening to my partner's small business now. So don't get all bleeding righteous with me about how bleeding wonderful the ALP is because they are not. They hate working people as much as they hate businesses who provide the jobs. Grow up Georgiana or are you still at uni and not lived in the real world!?!?!

I think they call that capitalism and the free market if your business cannot make enough money to survive...to rely on the government to create a situation so your business can survive is a outdated socialist model as I understand it...but then I only live in the real world

November 22, 2013 at 7:38 am |

georgina b

When is Abbott and Brandis and going to step down and being charged with expenses thieft...as they insisted slipper and thompson did..........Julia is not being investigated .....and she resigned her law work to go into parliament......like most things said by the right wing you make it up as you go along..............Abbott and Brandis the attorney general have lied continually for the last 6 years and should be in jail for thieft.

What ever you say blocash........all the facts are there for our overseas readers to see on the net.......like I have always told my kids ....always vote and go left.....because the right wing is always looking out for themselves at the expense of humanity and fairness not to mention the enviroment

Georgina B, if you going to write in international publications at least tell the truth.... Julia Gillard was never elected by the Australian people having stabbed a sitting PM in the back, then went to the electorate who did not voter hee into office, rather she sold her soul to the greens and it all went down hill from there. The she was thrown out off office by her own party..... Now Gillard is being investigated for a major fraud and you may wash over the facts, spout absolute rubbish in three different posts and have the acidity to blame anyone with a right wing bent, although you belong to the ultra left fringe out there bunch of loonies party.... get your facts straight, stop being so forked tongued like your ex demi god... the truth always hurts and I am sure you are hurting now.... I can feel your pain....

georgina You really are a comedian with your ideas. 70% of labor voters had the same ideas until Gillard changed them and they saw the light... election time. They all woke up to the truth. will be many years before the lliebor party get elected again thats how good she was.

Gillard was the worst PM in our history, & if you want to believe her that's your downfall. She has destroyed our country, way of life, caused divisions & huge class divisions. She is under investigation by our Vic.major fraud squad, it would be our wish for her to remain out of Aus, make no comment about politics. & we'd all be happy

Wow, you must have been devastated when the country gave the comrades the boot. They chucked juliar out to save a few seats but she had already done enough damage to cost them the election. Even the dud was a better option. LOL

Really? I am sure that they released a vote result. Losing a vote to get removed is about as far from resigning that you can get!! Julia Gillard was sacked by her own party. Whether the reasons were more or less valid that those for when Keving Rudd was sacked by his own party, or Morris Iemma, or Nathan Rees is a matter of debate. But the fact she was sacked by her own party is fact.

your 100% correct Georgina, Julia resigned herself once so found out her boyfriend Wilson had lied to her. Bruce Wilson admitted Julia knew nothing of his underhanded dealings with Blewitt.
Ralph Blewitt is a man who raped his own sister & this is the man who is helping Victorian police. WOW gee ...it's just too funny !!

Wrongagain Col. After Wilson and Gillard were sprung by her law firm Ssltrr & Gordon they both spent 2 weeks away at the Healesville Hotel to get their stpry straight

November 22, 2013 at 1:36 am |

georgina b

More right wing lies......Julia is not under investigation for anything........and there have been many disgraceful prime ministers...all coalition.....menzies, holt, howard....and now the misogyniist inhumane Abbott

Georgina B... and again your telling more lies, like you demi god...... Gillard is being investigated by the Victorian Police for fraud, have a look at http://www.michaelsmithnews.com and all will be reviled. I can image you are trying to protect her international reputation but really your just making a fool of yourself, anyway carry on with your rubbish.....

haha, Michael Smith site...now there's some great stuff right there..a guy selling wine & a heap of other people posting stuff, the latest is a guy singing... way too funny

November 22, 2013 at 1:16 am |

Nigel K. Williams

Hey Col, stick to hair dressing it less stressful...

November 22, 2013 at 1:52 am |

SteveX

Call me when the shuttle lands Georgina and Col. If we're on the same planet then maybe I'll buy you a cup of coffee. It doesn't matter what Michael Smith says or doesn't say. The fact is that there IS a Vic Police investigation and Julia IS a person of interest. In my opinion, gained from 16 years in law, is that Julia (a) has some serious questions to answer (to the police) (b) subject to those answers, she may be charged with a number of offences and (c) assuming those answers are unsatisfactory (as I expect they will be) she will be convicted..

November 22, 2013 at 9:24 pm |

Quinn

Give it up georgina. You'll end up in tears. It's a sad day when we learn the truth about Santa.

Georgina, you clearly are devoted to Julia Gillard, and many women saw her initially as having the potential to be a good female PM. I am sorry to say this did not happen, and I know it distresses you personally, but you are going to have to face facts that Julia Gillard IS under investigation and she is soon going to be charged with multiple offences against the criminal code in Victoria. I am sorry this will upset you, but it is fact and will happen after Bruce Wilson's next court appearance in December 2013.

She resigned as a partner at Slater and Gordon law firm because of the firms right wing anti union views and the total boys club culture of the legal practice and decided to work for the Labor party where she was appreciated.......so nigel williams dont patronize me and you need to get your facts right and not try and brainwash other readers like you leader Abbott does

Georgina b, wrong again... Gillard was forced to resign or be sacked as per detailed information released by most publications, t.v. stations, blogs and alike in Australia. I love the way you pull the misogynist comment, actually gillard was herself a misandryist of the highest order. You are a liar of the first order, a teller of untruths, a conveyor of garbage. I just love your posts, it gives many the right of reply and production of evidence that blows your rantings out of the water... now settle petal, you running out of things to say....

Georgina she resigned because if she didn't she was going to be sacked for multiple offences, including sleeping with a client, setting up a secret slush fund for him where he siphoned money from a building firm that should have gone to the Union, even though she was also the union's lawyers. she also falsely witnessed a Power of Attorney so that Wilson could use some of the stolen money to buy a house under another persons name, and she had some of the money pass through the law firm trust fund, which is considered Money laundering. there are many more things she did, but basically she resigned before she was sacked. sorry, but you are going to hear a lot more about this and it will upset you, as it is about to blow as a major story. (Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, I am using an iPad )

That is hilarious! Slater and Gordon the famous Labor Lawyers are right wing! What a crock. You know Ms Gillard worked in the Industrial (union) section and did work for the AWU (Australian Workers Union). I was a very active unionist in the mid 1990s for a different union and Friday night drinks in the Melbourne Union office and other union functions were regularly attended by Slater and Gordon lawyers. Union members got a free first meeting with Slater and Gordon. Slater and Gordon still offer free will making services to our union . Slater and Gordon Labour Lawyers Union Lawyers Workers Lawyers -the famous Wittennoon asbestos case. Look it up.

georgina b you really do have your facts all topsy turvy. and sounding very desperate the tears are getting closer. You believe anything you are told. not long now and all will be revealed. when she is front page news

Quinn..........typical misogynist comment about women crying .......I rest my case the right wing believe we should all be in the kitchen and are to weak to cope in politics.....no wonder the coalition only have ONE women in their cabinet.....and Quinn you would be the first to your kids the truth about santa see them cry...heartless tory

You rest your case, on what? a mountain of lies, valleys of untruths, rolling hills of exaggerations, fields of rubbish, if thats the case then I agree with you Georgina b..... And I suspect you will be complaining that you are the only women in her defence.... you probably are.....

Your complete ignorance or deliberate lies about Slater and Gordon the famous Labour firm says a lot.
Men wearing blue ties and looking at their watches doesn't cut the misogyny mustard.
Ms Gillard make promises about surpluses but delivered a 300 billions debt. She make promises about education and disability funding that could never be paid for and which she never actually delivered, did she? The carbon tax hurt the poor and stifled business. No taxpayers' no taxes' no money to pay for all those pie in the sky promises. But you and she could just blame those nasty misogynists in their nasty blue ties when they called her out on her undeliverable promises.

Sorry georgina that the truth hurts. Gillard was sacked.Gillard is a central suspect in major fraud Victoria Police investigation of a million bucks that she and her boyfriend Wilson ripped off from lowly paid workers. The steam train of justice is about to pull into the station

gee!! that Victoria Police investigation is so slow....it's slow because they have nothing...there is more on Abbott if they bother to look..he lied to the AEC in 1998(a criminal act) even admitted live in ABC TV that he didn't tell the AEC the truth. But don't worry Abbott supporters love how he lies & so does Rupert Murdoch. Old Rupert must laugh himself to sleep every night at how gullible some people in Australia can be.

Why don't you make a complaint to the police if you are so sure Abbott has broken the law Col? They can't do anything unless someone makes a complaint. Too scared to complain because you know you'll be laughed at?
Thorough investigations take time especially when you want to be sure the guilty party doesn't go free because of a botched investigation. Police don't waste money and resources investing nothing and the time the AWU investigation is taking is a sure sign they've found heaps worth looking into.

November 22, 2013 at 1:04 am |

Nigel K. Williams

Col, you sound like a lonely hairdresser, caste aside, broken but loyal.....

November 22, 2013 at 1:48 am |

Keith

The Victorian police investigation is slow, but according to some things could be coming to a head, (delusional) I look forward to the day when I see the smoking gun. But I just have this feeling that the police have been on a fishing trip and are now eating Spam from a can.

November 22, 2013 at 2:43 am |

Chucky

Two things CNN should know before airing anything this "woman" (and I use the term loosely) says.
1/ The woman is a fervent liar and has continually lied to the Australian people on several key issues while in power.
The main one being her very first......"There will be no carbon tax..........etc". This woman couldn't lie straight in bed! To
test this simply ask her to tell the truth about the so called slush fund she helped start! Should provide an interesting
answer. She is in fact lying to you now. She swore she would stay out of politics for good! That one lasted only a
short time didn't it?
2/ Juliar Gillard and her mates Kevin Dudd and Brain Swan, (no emphasis on the brain meant), started all the problems for
Australia beginning in 2007. The Indonesian spying sage began as an intelligence gathering operation on orders from
Juliar, because of the tension existing because of the Bali bombings etc. Her and her cronies have successfully
destroyed Australia's credibility, its economy, and more importantly, its peoples LIVES!
3/ If this womans lips are moving, she is lying! If she appears to be breathing, she is lying! Damn, even if she appears to
be sleeping, she is probably lying in her nightmares! Be warned! Be very afraid!

Will CNN come back for another interview when she is locked up in jail for her part in ripping off workers money?
I doubt it.
What was once a party of ideas and represented its base (The ALP) has being progressively decimated by the involvement of upstart ex union lawyers who have never done a real days work. Including their new leader Bill Shorten.

We have a new Government lead by a fine man Tony Abbott who was the butt of a contrived "speech" that all the "luuvies" just adored when it was really a load of tosh!!!

By this interview she continues to try and re-write history, the majority of Australians know what the real story is.

Thank you CNN for airing the Gillard interview, enjoyed it immensely.
Allow me to clean up some of the topics which have been raised regarding the formal prime Minister.
1/ Julia Gillard was an extremely hard-working Prime Minister.
It was never Julia Gillard's intention to have a carbon tax, the original plan was for a carbon trading scheme.
Julia Gillard 20 years ago gave some advice to a friend about the AWU workplace reform, she did not operate, control or have any knowledge of its operation whatsoever.
The opposition party in Australia try to implicate Gillard in the AWU but failed miserably.
2/ the formal prime minister Gillard and her colleagues Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan worked diligently to achieve many passings of amazing pieces of legislation through Gillard's prime ministership. One extremely noteworthy reform was the plain packaging of cigarettes.
The current spying fiasco with Indonesia occurred during Prime Minister Rudd's reign, but in truth could possibly be traced back to John Howard and his relationship with the American Pres George W Bush. They signed an agreement to share intelligence's between their two countries.
Prime Minister Gillard worked extremely hard to foster good relationships between Indonesia and Australia. Her work with India was extraordinary as Australia had a disappointing reputation as being racist towards young Indian students in Melbourne who are at the time were copping a considerable amount of abuse by the Australian public.
3/ Julia Gillard is a remarkable woman and I always enjoy reading or listening to one of her many speeches that she delivers around the world. She is a wonderful states woman representing the values of the Australian way of life.

Haha James. How do you know Gillard only gave 'advice' to her boyfriend Bruce Wilson on setting of AWU-WRA? Because she told you so? You better call the Victorian Fraud and Extortion Squad and let them know they have wasted 12 months with 12x full time detectives interviewing 100 ppl all for nothing. Rememver the crooks are alwsys intervied last. This only leaves Gillard and Wilson

November 22, 2013 at 2:28 am |

Sylvana

The former self-important sacked (from the second of only two jobs she had, one as a lawyer and the other politics and "let go" from both of them) the catastrophic PM Gillard left our country in a mess, someone should make her fully accountable. Julia G. is a product of her Socialist Forum that had communist ideals and goals. The socialist Gillard who bought a seaside mansion and now lives off the pension paid for from the sweat of Australian taxpayers. The woman who lied about the carbon tax, then became a devotee of global warming but doesn't blink at flying all over the world filling the atmosphere with sky-pollutants. This tweet from Julia Gillard on 24th January 2013 is an example of how she thrives on attention when telling the world about her self aggrandising visit to the Defence Signals Directorate.

"Thanks to the staff of the Defence Signals Directorate for helping to keep Aus safe. Their motto – Reveal their secrets, Protect our own. JG" I bet the DSD wished she knew the basics that it's better to remain silent and look like a fool than keep opening her mouth thus removing all doubt.

There is coming a day (soon I hope) when our ex-Prime Minister Gillard will be required by the police to front up to a criminal Court to answer questions regarding her actions back in the early 1990's in regards to the AWU-WRA matter. The media here in Oz are hesitant to report on it (given that most are Left-leaning, they are obviously protecting her), but the matter is serious, and is being investigated by a team of detectives from Vic Police. If charges are laid, and she is found guilty of her actions, then very likely a prison sentence awaits. I don't know how the Progressive Left in Australia will deal with that if it comes to be – but it will be a rude awakening for many who have no idea of what is going on.

I think the old union tactic of sueing for defamation when you need to protect your corruption is well and truely over. Labor's Craig Thomson tried it, on the back of Gillard and her old mate Justice Murphey's success at quelling probing into their AWU corruption, only to lose plus court costs to newspaper Fairfax. Now Thompson, who Gillard had 100% backed is now back in court next week in Melbourne on more than 170 charges of fraud. Good luck Craig. The same detectives who investigated you're fraud are now sbout to charge your protector Ms Julia Gillard

November 22, 2013 at 3:18 am |

Brett

The international audience is always fawning over JG since the viral misogyny speech. It strikes a chord with their stereotypical impression of Australia. Once and for all Tony Abbott is a decent man, the women he works and lives with all agree. The rally he spoke at and signs in the audience that the article mentions with the signs was not arranged by him. Everyone knows in this nation that the famous speech was a desperate tactic and cynical attempt to use JGs gender to ignite a gender war for political gain. Ironically suggested to her by a male advisor from the UK.

The International audience like Julia because she is genuine when she speaks. There would have been no misogyny speech if Abbott hadn't of said all the things she threw back at him in the speech. The whole speech consisted of Julia quoting Abbott's own words. I have to laugh when people say Abbott can't be a misogynist because he has daughters. My dad has 2 daughters & he is probably the biggest misogynist ever !!

Hey Nigel..why aren't you over at Michael Smiths page...there's a man singing now as we speak..talk about the best crack up ever...oh & if you have time check out the guy selling wine....best laugh I've had in ages..oh no wait!! reading your comments rates pretty high as well...haaaaaaaa !!

November 22, 2013 at 2:35 am |

Aussie

Rudd Gillard Rudd socialist Labor governments were the worst in Australian political history.

Gillard was a self-absorbed lying, cheating, ball-breaking feminazi. She had numerous affairs with married men and wrecked childrens lives. She lied about the Carbon Tax that "we will never had under the Government I lead". She got in bed with the Greens, traitors to Australia, who are too yellow to admit that they are RED. She and her useless Treasurer left the country in massive debt. Why ask her opinion? It's worth ZERO, ZILCH, NADA. The spying occurred under KRudd's watch. He has disappeared off the face of the earth and should be answerable. He is however probably too scared to come back because of the Heiner Affair and the Pink Batts deaths. Julia Gillard, complicit in the AWU Fraud, will have her day in court on the 2nd December, not too far away. Maybe she will disappear like KRudd, if so, I suggest Siberia.

I will contribute for her ticket. It pains me every time I think of her pension for incompetence; why am I not so dishonest with my client's and so unlucky? I used to admire her until I woke up. She reminds me of Lenin: He used to stir his comrades up, let them fight it out and he would p1ss off to Paris have a good time and go back after storm!!She is out of the country now whilst storm is on.

If you have JULIAR Gillard over there, please KEEP her there, WE do not want her BACK. She is a pathological LIAR and is also being INVESTIGATED for FRAUD.If I had my way I would cancel her Visa. Thank you for your cooperation.<:o)

What a lost opportunity you lazy and incurious journalists... the CNN story bypassed the many fascinating and putrid elements of the Julia Gillard story:
– currently under a serious investigation for major fraud.
– departed her law firm after huge conflicts of interest and deception of her partners were discovered and never practiced law again.
– has a history of attraction to thuggish rogues and conducted numerous extramarital affairs with such men.
– was throughout her political career openly beholden to corrupt union officials.
– despite global warming being her signature policy issue she has just bought a beach house about 2 feet above sea level.
– and much more....
You can't make this stuff up - do some homework CNN!.....

Hello America. You have adopted our first female Prime Minister. Unfortunately you cant keep her as she will be doing time in a womens prison in Melbourne for criminal activity.ATM there are numerous wigged Queen's Council itching to put her away.

Last and not least: I reckon the friends ABC would have told Julia and Rudd about blow up with Indonesia and that is why they are both out of our country. Julia I do hope you read this and realize how much pain you have caused to my country people and please stay out forever. This drama should have been out in June, BEFORE election and your, not my, ABC is a country traitor.

Sonds like lots of Liberal TROLLS have come out. Julia Gillard was a fantastic Prime Minister, history will be really kind to her. Not so Mr Abbott. J.Gillard will go on to do really great work helping our world.

You know what Maureen, I don't care if Gypsy runs the country if it has nation in heart. I don't care if liberal, Labor ,Greens ( O God what am I saying !!!), I am not like you, I don't have blinkers but carry huge responsibility and duty as honest hard working citizen of this blessed most wonderful country in the world. This is not about Labor but about incompetence, lies and trickery. We had had some amazing labor and liberal leaders on both sides. Do grow up.
I will probably vote labor again but not until likes of Silli Billy and stupid Plibersek are running in the opposition. Give me Albo any time. You need to read Australian as well as not do independent SMH !!

For all the CNN viewers.
What Julianne wrote at the top of this page is completely and utterly true.
As can be seen from all other letters on this page Julia Gillard has divide Australia. I am very glad to say that the left wingers are vastly out numbered,,, and they don't like it!!
Gillard is at the centre of a very thorough, intensive and ongoing police investigation into a fraud involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stay tuned!

Never any evidence of what? Ms Gillard was removed from the PM's job by her own party because their internal polling showed Labor were facing a bath at the September 2013 election. You can call it a price on carbon and I can call it a price on income, or a price on goods and services but semantics aside a tax is a tax is a tax. I don't believe that Ms Gillard has any real committment to 'carbon pricing' but she had a real committment to being Prime Minister and so she sold out to the Greens in order to win government in 2010's hung parliament. Australia's 'working families' got huge increases in energy bills. Business was stifled which has lead to higher unemployment. The resources boom hide the reality of the weakening economy for a time but as that weakened the chickens came home to roost. You can promise huge increases in spending for education and disability support but you have to collect taxes to pay for it. In a global economy business looks elsewhere when the cost of business in one countrey is too high. The OECD produced a report showing that the Carbon (dioxide) tax was hurting Australia's economy and for what? A tax on a trace element that is essential for plant growth. The man-made global warming hysteria led to various state governments spending billions on de-sal plants because we were told by Ms Gillard's man Flannery that even if it rains the dams wont fill. How many predictions can the phony climate scientists get wrong before someone calls them for the charlatans they are? The dams are full the de-sals in mothballs costing Victoria alone 1.5 million dollars a day. And guess what is it doing right now in sunny Melbourne? Not just raining, but pelting down, of course

November 22, 2013 at 8:57 pm |

SteveX

Well the proof will be in the pudding I guess. Let's see what happens when the Vic Police charge Gillard. IMHO, you are delusional Maureen.

November 22, 2013 at 9:53 pm |

SteveX

oh...or are the Vic Police part of a right wing misogynist conspiracy to get Gillard?!

Yes it is true, Gillard and her Labor (ALP) party were the most incompetent government since Federation.
It is a shame that a major US News Network like CNN, can base an interview off a political stunt. (The misogyny speech.)
Gillard was a figurehead put in place by powerful Unions. aka, Bill Ludwig.
Gillard, being a lawyer, would have sued the pants off any commentator that revealed her crimes, but didn't, because she is guilty.
The misogyny speech was orchestrated by her hired PR/Marketing/Propaganda Chief, McTiernan who was brought in from the UK.

So please CNN and Christine, uphold basic journalistic integrity by at least researching who you choose to present.
It makes your news org look stupid.
Where there's smoke there's fire and Gillard will forever be regarded as the worst Australian PM to date.

Julia Gillard was an incompetent, self interested, man hater. I am embarrassed to say that she was the first female prime minister of Australia, thank goodness she is out of politics. I know that somewhere down the track a very smart, intelligent woman, will make her mark on Australian politics. Julia Gillard only trashed the brand. good riddance!

Julia cut her political career tragically short by jumping the gun. Should have propped Kevin Rudd up for as long as humanly possible then come into you own with the perceived mandate of the public. The way it happened was such a mystery to most people. Why did you agree to retire that day?? We need you now Abbott is wrecking the joint!

Only a few months have gone by and already people have forgotten. Ms Gillard didn't leave of her own volition, she was sacked by her one party as internal polling showed that if she had gone to the election it would have been a bloodbath. Labor were so desperate that they had to bring back Mr Rudd to 'save the furniture". Australians were saying NO to a Carbon Tax, no to government debt and government waste, no to a failed border protection policy that had cost over 1000 lives and cost the Australian taxpayer over 3.5 billion.

Now that IS what I call intelligence- and you even spelt it correctly- how long it took you to write it? Poor sod. You probably toot the horn if I cut you off at light!!!!!! and run over pensioners at crossing !!!! Love it.

So what is this? The repackaging of Julia Gillard to skew history in 'the right direction'? The voters of Australia know exactly who she is, her history with other womens husbands, her interesting activities with union funds, her contributing to the firing of an investigative journalist and her back stabbing of a popularly elected PM. The 'I am woman, hear me roar' thing may play well with the Emily's Listers but the Australian electorate knows better.

Ac_tually organizations suc_h as Ec_
and USA Government, inc_luding Fed and Ec_ are with mindc_ontrol.
This means that via wireless c_ommunic_ations the thoughts of a
person c_an be read it is c_alled c_onverging tec_hnologies. There
are also employees in Google, Mic_rosoft, IBM, Teradata ... who are
also with mindc_ontrol. So there is not problem any privite key to be
ac_c_essed by a joint organization for profits. So there are very few
sec_ured c_ommunic_ation c_hannels. Many politic_ians in c_EE are
also mindc_ontrolled, this time for stealing from these c_ountries.

Falsely playing the Misogynist and victim card is a mark of excellence now? She rose to power via an embezzlement scandal, through union "ranks" (and rank they are).

Next feat was to politically assassinate the ELECTED PM, promising us the unimportant public there would never be a Carbon Tax, a commitment she broke in very short order after failing to WIN government.

Next, to grab power, a grubby deal with former political opponents was done. Most of them were thrown out next election for their deception.

What did she really "achieve"? That's easy .. proved that gender is no barrier to corruption, deception, narcissism, blame-shifting, attention seeking and pretty well any other personality deficiency falsely attributed only to men. Those who can think already knew that, but now everyone here knows, even if they are in denial, as is our former PM.

Being able to speak better than Tony Abbott? Sure, but completely irrelevant compared to results.

Speaking well was also one of Hitler's good points. I don't understand people's fascination with a good talker who keeps NO promises, wastes billions of taxpayer dollars on failure schemes, has a 24/7 media circus to cover up an abject LACK of achievement.
We have an UNDELIVERED National Broadband Network (NBN) with tens of billions spent and few consumers connected. In the Northern territory it is FIVE connections!!! You could use this in a textbook as an example of gross malfeasance.

I agree with the other poster that TA may not be "Mr. popular", but at least he is Mr. capable, even WITH our pathetic media white anting him almost daily.

Australia is now under adult management, and will take a year to turn around. We'll see TA's mettle in due course.

I hear you have a similar problem to the one our voters threw out, over there. Get to it, get your country back!

You are joking CNN Interviewing Julia Gillard, what a waste of your time and ours. She was never the legitimate PM of Australia and you are making like we give a ......about anything she thinks or says. I tell you what you keep her, I for one would like to never have to see or hear from her again, although our taxes now have to keep her for the rest of her life, while we the taxpayer are now burdened with the debt she left us with. I cannot stress enough to you my actual thoughts of this person. You could not print them. She was a fake then and still is.

Good riddance Gillard. You and Rudd were a bane when ruling Australia and we are thrilled to see the back of you. And as an ex-PM, it's best if you keep your bloody trap shut when commenting on national security issues. The bugging happened under Labor's watch and has blown up in Abbott's face. Another dismal Labor legacy. You're the pits.

America doesn't need the advice of this oxygen thief, as they have one in the White House at the moment who has brought the country to it's knees and have another waiting in the wings to take over and bury America in the slums forever.

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